


Sterling Silver Lining

by orphan_account



Category: Westworld (TV)
Genre: Dogs, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ford tasks you with looking after his new puppy, which somehow brings you and the head of the narrative department, Lee Sizemore, closer than either of you would have originally thought.
Relationships: Lee Sizemore/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Sterling Silver Lining

Ford wasn't too keen on getting another dog, he wasn't sure he had the time or the patience for it, the same as he wasn't sure he would be able to handle it; but the small greyhound puppy that now sat in his office, grey and white with dark brown eyes, its ears perked up slightly with interest and its little paws crossed over, made him sigh as he thought about Jock. The dog from his childhood. The dog that he had seen tear some poor small animal apart. Maybe this one would be different. He was older now, he didn't have the innocence he did as a boy, he was colder and used to gore and violence. 

"Stay here," Ford told the little pup, holding a hand up and walking out the office, closing the door before the small puppy could escape. He made his way downstairs, past the narrative department and all the way to where the animal handlers worked with the freshly made horses and donkeys in order to make sure that they weren't glitching out; in one of the glass arenas, you were leading a bison around with a rope, clicking your tongue and making sure that it was behaving properly and that there had been no mistakes in the manufacturing process. Clearing his throat, Ford peered in through the doors. "Excuse me, (y/n)? Do you have a moment?" 

You made the bison freeze as you let go of the rope and dusted off your hands, nodding "Sure thing, boss. What's up?" 

"It's come to my attention that you're the best animal handler we have here," he started, stepping inside and pulling the door closed, "is this true?" 

You shrugged, running your hand through the bison's faux fur. "I ain't so sure about that, I mean, I just try to do my job, make sure they're all behaving naturally." 

Ford nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "And yet you've had more success with them than most of our other employees." 

"Blind luck, I guess," you chuckled nervously. "Listen, Sir, I ain't smart, I know that, and I ain't the best, but I'm trying. I just do what I can." 

"You needn't sell yourself so short, (y/n), I've seen your work," he said. "You have a gift… tell me, have you ever thought about working with  _ real  _ animals?" 

"Well, sure," you admitted, frowning a little and hesitating before continuing, "but… this job pays well, and I mean, I enjoy it - even if the animals ain't exactly all there." 

"I see," Ford mused. "And what would you say if I offered you… a different job?"

You furrowed your brows, confused as to what the boss meant. "Pardon?" 

"I've come to… obtain a puppy," he explained, "just a greyhound, nothing too complicated, but I have no time to train it and walk it, you see, so if you'd like, I'd happily give the reins to you." 

You fell silent, unsure of how to react; sure, you loved doing what you did, you loved being able to correct little mistakes in certain pattern behaviours that the animals were supposed to exhibit, but… a change of profession, to work with an actual real animal, might be good. Even if there was a slight anxiety about failing. 

You sighed, running a hand through your hair and shrugging. "I promise, Sir, I'll do everything I can. I won't let you down." 

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

The first few days with the puppy, Sterling, went by absolutely fine, he listened to your commands and obeyed them diligently as if he had been taught them long ago, and you were enjoying the excess time that you had on your hands; sure, the puppy could be a handful at times, but you didn't mind in the slightest. He was a good little dog, and you couldn't deny that you enjoyed looking after him, you enjoyed wandering around the building with the dog trailing behind you with a wagging tail. He was a pleasant little dog, that was for sure, and you had no worries about him being off the lead while you were wandering about, but you did soon come to regret it when he growled and yelped and took off running whilst you were pottering about the narrative department. 

"Fuck, Ford's gonna kill me," you seethed as you chased after the dog, skidding into an office and bumping into someone. "Shit, I'm sorry, I-" 

"Is this your dog?" You looked up to see Lee Sizemore, a colleague of yours, the head of the department, holding little Sterling, a grimace on his lips.

"I, no, it's Ford's, I'm, uh- thanks," you chuckled nervously, taking the dog back and offering up an anxious smile. "Sorry…" 

"You work downstairs, right?" He asked, taking a seat at his desk and quirking a brow. 

You nodded, clearing your throat and adjusting the dog in your arms so that he was comfortable. "I… yeah, uhm, animal behaviour and handling." 

Lee nodded, looking at little Sterling before looking back up at you as he smiled. "I thought I'd seen you around… weren't you the one who told me to rewrite the little side narrative with the wolves?" 

"Coyotes," you corrected. "And, uh, yeah… you wrote their, uh, their basic hunting… you wrote them wrong." 

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe I should get you to proofread all my narratives for me, then? Make sure I get all the… animal instincts written properly." 

"I wouldn't mind," you agreed quietly before clearing your throat and speaking up a little louder, "but, I gotta dash - Ford wants this little guy back in about fifteen minutes, and I really,  _ really _ , would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about my… little slip up." 

"My lips are fucking sealed," he reassured with a soft laugh. "As long as you come back and help me with this new storyline." 

"If I have the time," you smiled, although it was weak and full of nervousness and anxiety. "Then sure, I'd love to, Mister Sizemore." 

"Lee," he corrected. "Call me Lee, please." 

"(y/n)," you told him, turning to the door. "I'll, uh, I'll see you soon, then, Lee." 

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

True to your word, after dropping Sterling off with Ford, you went to consult Lee, making yourself at home in his office and getting perhaps a little too comfortable; you were on the windowsill, smoking a cigarette as you dangled one foot over the ledge and leaned against the window itself, ashing it outside and watching the grey specks fall. 

"So, uh, what do you need help with?" You asked, clearing your throat with a certain unease; you knew that he could snap at any moment, his temper flared and burning white hot, he was known for his outbursts when things didn't go his way, but at the same time, every time you had spoken to Lee, he seemed… gentle. He listened and took your words into consideration, he seemed like he wanted to gain more from you; but it wasn't his temper or his keenness that made you nervous - Lee was handsome as anything, you had to admit, his deep blue eyes and the way he always wore those jumpers and those suits with no ties; his good looks were intimidating, horribly so, and you knew that you could never tell him that, as you knew he would laugh at you and reject you within an instant. 

"Just some… kinks to work out," Lee told you, his eyes never leaving your form as he looked you up and down, seemingly studying your every move, every little idiosyncrasy that seemed to take his attention. "Nothing too major, just some things I'd like for you to run over."

"Sure," you shrugged, looking anywhere but his eyes; god, Lee had the nicest eyes, deep and cobalt, piercing and filled with a certain flame that you couldn't quite describe entirely despite its smoke being intoxicating. You couldn't look into his eyes, not when you knew how lost you would get, and without a map, you doubted you would've been able to find your way back regardless. "I've got a few hours til I have to be anywhere… promised I'd help Bernard with something later." 

"What does he need help with?" Lee asked with a slight growl to his voice; perhaps a hint of jealousy, or even anger that he couldn't have you all to himself for the night. You knew you couldn't look too much into it, but you couldn't stop yourself from thinking about it - the way his voice shifted so slightly to give way to a deeper and darker tone, the way he slightly growled and how his eyes seemed to become dim, as if a light switch had been turned off somewhere in the back of his mind. 

"Just a few things with the animal Hosts," you explained, "he said they'd been having problems with dogs, especially." 

Lee nodded, leaning back in his chair slightly and cocking his head to the side, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips pursing slightly, a slight tremble to his hand as he lifted it up to his mouth, pressing his lips against the side of his fingers with a harsh huff. "Well that's just fucking  _ perfect _ , isn't it?" 

"I have a day off tomorrow," you said suddenly. "Well, I mean, Ford asked if I could take Sterling to the dog park for the day, get him socialised with other dogs… you can join me, if you want?" 

Lee froze a little, debating it, before he shrugged and nodded. "I'd like that, what time?" 

"About six in the morning," you said quietly. "I wanna make sure that he's used to his surroundings, first." 

"That sounds good," Lee agreed. "I'll meet you there, then, I take it." 

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Lee arrived at the dog park at exactly six thirty-seven, a couple of cups of coffee in his hands as he approached you on one of the benches, the small greyhound pup sound asleep by your foot, curled into a little ball with one of its ears flipped over and its tail sticking out like a weed; he smiled, sitting beside you, offering the coffee. 

"No milk, no sugar, right?" He asked pointing to the cup that had your name scrawled on it, making you smile as you took it and noticed that it was his handwriting. 

"That's right," you agreed, taking a sip. "How'd you know?" 

"I'm smarter than you think," he chuckled, flashing a dashing smile. "I've seen you in the break room, you always get coffee but then skip out on milk and sugar." 

"Observant," you noted, nodding and knocking back a few more sips of coffee. "Y'know, I almost thought you weren't gonna show up, Sizemore." 

Les scoffed, shaking his head and raising a brow as he took a swig of his own coffee. "I would've texted, but I don't have your number… and the coffee shop doesn't open until half fucking six because they're a pile of shit." 

The way his sentences were laced with swears was something you could never deny that you liked; he was so brutal and honest with his words, you couldn't deny that you enjoyed it and found it refreshing. "Is that your way of asking for my number?"

"Maybe it is," he mused, laying one arm across the back of the bench, his hand agonisingly close to your back as he sighed. "Maybe it isn't." 

"You're a dick," you chuckled, rolling your eyes. "Seriously, though, do you want my number?" 

"If you're offering," he shrugged, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his phone, handing it to you after unlocking it. 

You smiled, heart pounding and thundering against your ribs and cracking the tough bones as it rattled and hit them, pretending not to be exhilarated as you took the phone from him, your fingers ghosting his as you took it, causing your breath to hitch a little; you could see your thumbs trembling as you typed in your number and your name before handing it back with a tight smile, biting the inside of your lip so much that it was starting to sting slightly. "Now you don't have to invite me to your office to get me to look over things." 

"Who says I won't anyways?" He asked, somewhat teasing as he allowed his eyes to roam over you; he could see the slight trembles of your fingertips as you reached for the dog's lead and gripped it, the way you shook as you lifted the coffee cup up to your lips and swigged it back with gulps, how your chest heaved ever so slightly after your breath hitched, how your lip moved as you bit at it. He was making little notes of it, all the idiosyncrasies that gave way to your nervousness, and he found it all rather endearing, like how water rippled when the wind whispered to it. "I mean, fuck, (y/n), you're probably the only person who isn't either scared or pissed off at me… you're probably the only person who's actually half fucking interesting." 

You laughed off the comment, thinking it was nothing other than playful banter, even though something told you that he was a little bit more than sincere about it; once more, though, you did your best not to think about it, and not to think too much about how good he looked, bathed in the rising sun. 

"Come on, you can't seriously mean that," you commented, leaning over slightly to look down at Sterling, who had since gotten up, and was sniffing around Lee's legs with great curiosity, his tail seemingly a blur as it wagged so fast and so much, you even almost thought that he was going to break it the daft thing. "He seems to like you, Lee." 

Looking down at the dog, he grimaced a little, furrowing his brows before looking back up at you and humming lowly; he never really liked animals, nor was he particularly fond of the outdoors, but even still, he had agreed to sit in the dog park with you and the boss's dog, and was yet to regret it. "And what about his handler?" 

"His handler likes you, too," you assured, letting your smile slip slightly, almost a grin but not quite. "His handler also wants to know if there's a chance we could see each other again… maybe, outside of work hours?" 

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Every day at the office felt like a drag, utter torture for Lee, but then he always had little breaks here and there to see you and Sterling; wandering around the building together, chatting about everything and nothing all the same, discussing office gossip and the latest rumours. The two of you got along like a house on fire, and even Felix and the rest of the people that worked with him on his floor knew that, if you and Sterling were around, then there was a good chance that Lee was somewhere not far behind; even on days when Sterling was in Ford's office, you and Lee were always somehow together - lunch breaks spent on your own table, sat apart from everybody else, him joining you on cigarette breaks, you lounging in his office and making yourself more than comfortable. It wasn't rare for people to go looking for you and find you in Lee's office; nor was it rare for people to go looking for him, only to find him sat in one of the glass arenas with you, sat on a stool as you ensured that an animal Host was working properly and had been manufactured without any hitches or mistakes. 

The cool rooms were one of his favourite spots, though, and he gladly allowed Sterling to sit on his lap as he watched you. 

"See?" You propped open the 'sleeping' alligator's mouth and looked up at Lee with a frown. "The shape of the teeth is all wrong, and makes it look more like a fucking crocodile than a gator." 

He nodded, not really understanding, his hand gliding up and down Sterling's back gently; for Lee, he had grown quite affectionate towards the little dog, as even though he wasn't too keen on animals, he saw Sterling as a symbol - the dog meant that he could see you, he could be with you and spend time with you, and for Lee, that was starting to grow to mean everything in the world. 

"Where's the person in charge of making the animals?" He asked, about to get up when Sterling whined in protest, making him sigh as he settled back down and pushed the thought of moving from his mind for the moment. "They're a fucking idiot, I'll have a word with them." 

"It's fine, Lee," you reassured. "I mean, seriously… who's even gonna notice?" 

"You did," he pointed out. 

"Only because it's my job," you told him. "You've said it before - if we make things too life-like, then it'll ruin the fun for the guests." 

Lee frowned, knowing he couldn't put another penny in the pot as he sighed; he knew that accuracy mattered to you, he knew that you ensured that every single animal Host was as real and as believable as it could be; he knew you cared about the quality of what was being manufactured just as much as you cared about the anatomy and the psychology and behaviour. He swallowed thickly, shaking his head. "No.  _ No,  _ no, fucking  _ no. _ I won't stand for this shit, this, this  _ piss take  _ of a fucking cock up." 

"Hey," you slowly approached, laying your hand on his shoulder and raising your eyebrows as you smiled. "It's okay, Lee, honestly, you don't need to get so worked up about it." 

"It isn't fucking okay, though," he hissed, jaw clenched. "You spend fucking hours on these things, and they think that they can just-" 

"Calm," you whispered, pressing your forehead against his and cupping his cheeks. "Calm." 

Lee grumbled, slowly coming down and steadying and relaxing; you were the only one who had been able to control his temper, to prevent his outbursts, and he shook a little as the rage subsided and melted away. His hands came to rest upon yours. 

"I'm calm," Lee told you softly. "I'm calm, love." 

"Good," you smiled, going to kiss his cheek when he moved his head slightly, accidentally making your lips meet his. It was unexpected and sloppy and hardly even a good kiss, but nevertheless, neither of you could deny that, amongst the clumsiness of it, there was a certain rush and a flicker of excitement that courses through your veins and swam through your arteries until you pulled away. Heart pounding and thumping as you caught your breath, the silence could be through with a knife so easily. "I, uh, I-" 

"I'm sorry," Lee whispered, silently sighing with relief when Sterling jumped off of his lap, he moved to stand up, only to accidentally kiss you again. "Fuck, I'm sorry-" 

"No, uh, Lee, wait," you cleared your throat, taking a step back and rubbing the back of your neck, nervous. "Wait, Lee… fuck, I, listen, I know we've been hanging out for a while and you've been helping me, but, uhm, listen… shit, I can't say it…" 

"You don't have to," he cleared his throat, reaching for your hand and smiling, gripping tightly as he sighed. "I wanna be with you, if you wanna be with me, I mean." 

"I do," you agreed, giving his hand a little squeeze. "I do… but, an office romance? You gotta admit, it sounds like something out of one of your narratives." 

"I know," Lee chuckled. "It's a bit fucked, innit?" 

"Just a bit, but I couldn't care how fucked it is… if I'm with you." 


End file.
